David Stern: The Palace is still serviceable for Detroit Pistons; European expansion inevitable

NBA commissioner David Stern endorsed The Palace of Auburn Hills as a viable ongoing facility for the Detroit Pistons and said he looks forward to watching his successor, Adam Silver, implement European expansion someday.AP File Photo

LONDON -- David Stern said today that he remains comfortable with the Detroit Pistons staying in their current arena "because I just think we like The Palace at Auburn Hills," and that he looks forward to how his successor implements his vision of European expansion.

The National Basketball Association commissioner made the remarks at a press conference preceding Thursday's Detroit Pistons-New York Knicks game at The O2 here.

Stern said that "given the recent reinvestments" in the facility, the Pistons already have a good NBA home.

"It's the best preserved (arena) of its age that we have and it's just about as modern as can be," he said. "So I have had not part of any discussion for a replacement arena for that."

Stern, who is scheduled to retire in February 2014 and be replaced by deputy commissioner Adam Silver, recently said he expects the NBA to expand to Europe within the next 20 years.

He stood by those remarks Thursday, saying the NBA is "literally just beginning" as a growth business."

"International is the most enormous opportunity and for us, it's -- from a business perspective -- it's a game changer," Stern said. "And from a game perspective, as more and more young people bounce the ball after watching Olympics or games like this, the talent pool is going to continue growing."

"I'm going to enjoy watching from a distance the pressure that's going to be put on my successor to deal with success."

Thursday's game was the 16th NBA regular-season contest played outside of North America and the third in Europe.

How expansion would work is an open question, though Stern said it only could happen in Europe for now, simply from a logistics standpoint.

It also would require massive infrastructure investments in nations with big basketball presences but lacking in big arenas. For that reason, Stern said, Italy has lagged behind in the NBA's future plans.

The league plans "to do more friendlies next season than we've ever done," preseason games against international teams to boost interest in the sport and its premier league.

Stern also addressed several other issues about the game, both domestically and internationally:

• On the possible sale and relocation of the Sacramento Kings to Seattle, he said, "The one thing we do know is that no purchase and sale agreement has been submitted to us, and we assume if one were going to be executed, the next thing they would do is submit it to us," Stern said.

Stern said Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson, a former NBA standout, requested the opportunity to address the Board of Governors or the relocation committee if such an effort comes to pass, "and I said, 'Always,'" Stern said.

But Stern also said Seattle mayor Mike McGinn "came in some time ago and told us that he was in favor of having a team, and we always entertain mayors, even for cities that don't have teams." He also added that Chris Hansen, an investor who has a deal in place with the city of Seattle to build a $490 million arena there, has been in talks with the league.

"So we've been -- we are more or less in a series of communications, but right now we don't know anything in terms of actionable plans," Stern said.

• On UK Sport's decision to rescind its £8.6 million ($13.5 million) funding of amateur basketball in the aftermath of last year's Olympic flop, Stern took some pointed shots.

"I just think that I believe in the aspects of our game that we talk about because other governments talk about it," Stern said. "They talk about exercise, health, fitness, discipline, teamwork as great attributes, especially in a world that's dealing with obesity and diabetes.

"And they also talk about the fact that our game is welcoming, inclusive, progressive and very diverse, and if I were an enterprise deciding where to invest, I would think that basketball, especially in a country that originally focused prior to the Olympics on the fact that basketball was a sport being played in the neighborhoods and especially for a country that's been bemoaning the fact that it's shut down playing fields and gymnasiums and they wanted to get kids out to be more active, the decision confounds me. I'm getting out of town fast after I just said that.

• On the likelihood of basketball rivaling soccer in popularity among English fans someday, Stern was realistic and dismissive, adding that he spent part of Thursday meeting with English Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore to swap stories and ideas.

"In England? Are you kidding? No chance," he said. "We just want to work our way up someplace underneath cricket and rugby."